Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“What makes them think he’s a spy?” she asked Meendy suspiciously. “He has gray skin and he’s huge. We all have either brown or tan skin and we are much shorter—clearly he’s not our species of humanoid.”
“Yes, but he’s male,” Meendy hissed. “And males are not to be trusted! They only want to keep females in sexual servitude.”
“Yes, yes—I know all that,” Breenah said impatiently. “Only… what does it mean, ‘sexual servitude?’ Mistress Work-worthy never really explains it. Do you think it means that males want to, you know…put their, uh, shafts into females somehow?” The thought gave her a fluttery feeling in her stomach for some reason.
“Who cares what it means!” Meendy made a dismissive gesture. “It’s bad and that’s all we need to know!”
“Yes, but I just wish that Mistress Work-worthy and the other Superiors would tell us what it meant,” Breenah said, frowning. “I’d like to know what I ought to be watching out for. After all, what kinds of, er, sexual servitude do you think the prisoner would engage in if he got a chance to? Which he won’t of course,” she added quickly.
“Stop all this foolish speculation and just be certain he doesn’t get out of those manacles!” Meendy said in her bossiest tone. “You’d better be guarding the Stasis Wheel release switch with your life!”
She nodded to the big red button on the far wall—the one that would instantly turn off the Stasis Wheel and release the Magno-manacles at once if pushed. It was an emergency measure, only to be used as a last resort.
“I am watching,” Breenah said shortly, irritated by the other woman’s bossy tone. She didn’t need anyone to tell her how to do her job! “No one is getting anywhere near that switch,” she told Meendy firmly. “So if that’s all you came to say, you can go back now. Tell Mistress Work-worthy everything is under control.”
“As a matter of fact, that’s not all I came to say.” Meendy put a hand to one skinny hip bone, which was clearly evident, poking out above the silver bottoms of her uniform. “Mistress Work-worthy also wanted me to make it clear you’re not to speak to the giant—not a single word.”
“Why would I talk to him?” Breenah demanded. “He’s a male. Everyone knows they can’t be trusted!”
“They lie with every breath they take,” Meendy agreed, frowning. “Just see that you don’t forget that. The Council of Superiors is deciding what to do with him but for now, just keep him blindfolded and as silent as possible.”
The imprisoned giant must have heard this because he stirred in his bonds and growled in that deep voice of his again. However, neither Breenah or Meendy paid him any attention.
“Tell Mistress Work-worthy that everything is fine,” Breenah said firmly. “And stop bothering me! I have my work and you have yours.”
Which was true enough—Meendy ran the Sanitation Department for the Compound—a responsibility which had definitely gone to her head. Breenah was just glad she didn’t run the Nutrition Department or nobody would have ever gotten anything to eat without having to hear a lecture first! As it was, old Moonah was in charge of the food, which was nice since she was one of the few Elders who approved of Breenah and didn’t seem to think that her curvy figure was odd or a reason for shame.
“You go on and have an extra piece of maize-cake, honey,” she’d say, placing another bit of food on Breenah’s tray during mealtimes. “You need it to keep those curves! You’re what women used to look like—back in the day.”
Breenah wasn’t sure what day she was talking about, but she always took the extra food with gratitude. It never felt like the rations were enough in the Compound and she was always wishing for more.
“Well…I’ll tell Mistress Work-worthy you’re doing your duty—barely,” Meendy snapped, breaking her train of thought. “Just see that you keep on doing it and don’t speak to the male—the Council of Superiors will interrogate him later.”
Breenah simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak lest she snap something sarcastic that Meendy would take offense to and report her to Mistress Work-worthy or one of the other Superiors.
“All right, see you later,” Meendy said, which was no doubt true. She was nosey enough to try and keep an eye on Breenah even without their Superior’s say-so. She slipped out of the Guard Room door with a last, sharp glance at the prisoner and the Stasis Wheel release switch, leaving Breenah alone with the giant once more.
With a sigh of relief, Breenah went back to guard duty, which mainly consisted of pacing back in forth in front or the prisoner, keeping an eye on his bound form. She didn’t fear him, she reminded herself again as she took in his huge size and musculature. She had her poison leeza knife on her hip—a single scratch from its blade would kill even a big brute like him. He couldn’t touch her. He couldn’t—